The first rendering has been revealed of the renovation project planned for the New York Public Library's Main Branch, located between West 40th and 42nd streets on Fifth Avenue. Netherlands-based firm Mecanoo and local architecture firm Beyer Blinder Belle are designing the renovations, which will increase the amount of public space in the 646,680-square-foot structure by 35 percent. Specifically, back offices, the lower level, and the roof will be converted into public space. There will also be designated sections for specific age groups and professional interests

Three years ago, developer Read Property Group negotiated a controversial residential rezoning of the former Rheingold Brewery properties in southern Bushwick. After neighbors fought for affordable housing there, Read sold the multi-acre industrial property to Rabsky Group and All Year Management, who didn’t have to honor Read’s promises for low income rentals. Now All Year Management is pushing forward with construction on its two pieces of the site, at 123 Melrose Street and 28 Stanwix Street.

General Investment & Development Companies (GID) is rebranding their three-tower mixed-use development -- between West 59th and 61st streets and Freedom Place South and Riverside Boulevard, in Lincoln Square (which is technically south of the Upper West Side) -- as Waterline Square. Updated renderings have been released of the towers, per Curbed NY, each of which has been designed by different architects.

Not every building alteration is noteworthy, but when one in the city’s first historic district goes before the full Landmarks Preservation Commission and includes the restoration of a stoop, we’ll try to tell that story. Such is the case at 36 Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn, where new work would take it from four apartments to single-family use.

A Brooklyn-based property owner has filed applications to redevelop the two-story townhouse at 891 Willoughby Avenue, in eastern Bushwick, into a four-story, nine-unit residential building. The expanded structure will measure 8,975 square feet and the residential units should average 867 square feet apiece. Based on the size of the apartments and location, family-sized rentals are likely in the works. Grigori Zinkevitch's Queens-based architecture firm is the architect of record. The lot, located three blocks from the Myrtle Avenue stop on the J and M trains, is 37 feet wide and measures 3,563 square feet.